Rent disputes: seven in ten resolved through conciliation in Ticino

In 2025, 1,211 proceedings were opened in Ticino before the conciliation offices for rental disputes. In 70 percent of cases, landlords and tenants reached an agreement without going to court.

The mechanism is valued by both sides. Erasmo Pelli, president of Conciliation Office 3 of Lugano West, says that even very opposing positions have sometimes led to an agreement. For Renata Galfetti, cantonal secretary of the Ticino Chamber of Real Estate Economy (CATEF), the main advantage is predictability: a court case can drag on for a long time, with uncertain costs and outcomes, while conciliation has a defined endpoint.

The reasons that bring people before the conciliators differ depending on who raises them. Landlords turn to the offices mainly over disputed cost statements, notices of termination, damage claims or unpaid rent. Tenants, on the other hand, mainly ask for a rent reduction.

More requests after the two cuts in the reference rate

According to Céline Dellagana-Rabuffetti, Ticino general secretary of the Swiss Tenants' Association (ASI), the two cuts to the mortgage reference rate in 2025, in March and September, prompted more tenants to file for a rent reduction. Dellagana-Rabuffetti also notes an increase in complaints about defects in rented apartments: problems that used to be tolerated are now reported more often.

A specific category concerns requests to extend a lease after a notice of termination, an issue that emerged in particular in the Lugano area. Pelli explains that this often involves tenants who have lived in the same apartment for over twenty years, for whom a quick move represents a significant burden. In these cases, the conciliation office usually proposes intermediate solutions, which in most cases are accepted by both parties.

Whether 2026 will confirm the same success rate remains to be seen. The signals gathered by the two associations are not unanimous: the ASI observes more disputes and less willingness to negotiate, while CATEF reports growing distrust among some landlords, who sometimes feel described in unflattering terms. The question remains open as to how to guarantee, even in a context of greater conflict, fast and fair access to conciliation for those with less room to bear the costs and timelines of a court case.